Network functions virtualization (“NFV”) is a new technology initiative that aims to move traditional and evolving mobility networking functions, such as access network elements, core network elements, transport network elements, and others, from purpose-built hardware to commercial-off-the-shelf (“COTS”) server-based platforms. This is achieved through virtualization of mobility networking functions to create virtual networking functions (“VNFs”) that operate on COTS hardware.
Software-defined network (“SDN”) is an architectural framework that provides a software-centric cloud environment for creating intelligent networks that are programmable, application aware, and more open. SDN provides an agile and cost-effective communications platform for handling the dramatic increase in data traffic on carrier networks by providing a high degree of scalability, security, and flexibility. SDN provides several benefits over traditional networks. SDN allows for the creation of multiple virtual network control planes on common hardware. SDN helps extend service virtualization and software control into many existing network elements. SDN enables applications to request and manipulate services provided by the network and to allow the network to expose network states back to the applications. SDN exposes network capabilities through application programming interfaces (“APIs”), making the control of network equipment remotely accessible and modifiable via third-party software clients using open protocols such as OpenFlow, available from Open Network Forum (“ONF”).
Combining SDN and NFV functionality, such as in Domain 2.0, available from AT&T, provides a highly complex and dynamic set of relationships between virtual, logical, and physical resources. Networks, such as embodied in Domain 2.0 deployments, provide intelligent software systems and applications operating on general purpose commodity hardware (e.g., COTS). This not only drives down capital expenditures, ongoing operational costs, and helps to configure networks with less human intervention, but also creates significant opportunities to scale and monetize existing and new intelligent services.
Within service providers, such as AT&T, orchestration systems like enhanced control, orchestration, management, and policy (“ECOMP”) have been created to dramatically reduce monotonous tasks and monitoring required by human operators through data-based analytics. Current orchestration systems often incite frustration among operators due to over-complicated network status readouts, non-specific network manipulations automatically performed by the orchestration system, and the inability to quickly “revert” changes caused by such manipulations. AT&T's ECOMP has been combined with the Open Orchestrator Project (“OPEN-O”) to create the Open Network Automation Platform (“ONAP”) project supported by the Linux Foundation. ONAP is an open source software platform that delivers capabilities for the design, creation, orchestration, monitoring, and life cycle management of SDNs and the VNFs operating therein, as well as higher-level services that utilize the functionality of SDN/VNF. ONAP provides automatic, policy-driven interaction of these functions and services in a dynamic, real-time cloud environment. ONAP also provides graphical design tools for function/service creation.
A closed-loop control mechanism is a main feature in automated life cycle management of VNFs in SDNs, but open-loop control remains a necessary part of the overall control process for managing VNFs and physical network functions (“PNFs”) in hybrid networks. Open-loop control remains necessary due to potential fallout in the closed-loop control process, and certain steps in the control process still require human intervention by design (e.g., an approval step in a workflow). Moreover, the current human-on-the-loop automation process has not yet reached the end goal of having capabilities equal to or better than the capabilities of closed-loop control.
Service assurance structured workflows (e.g., SaSHA) are available that guide, assist, and/or automate manual work efforts, including tickets and service, or more typically, manual decisions made by an operator that differs from one person to another depending on the judgment call by that person, often based on his/her experience. The lessons learned by the operators are often not captured and retained by existing workflow systems, but instead rely on the operator's memory, and might take a long time to be reflected in operator guidelines or guided workflows, if at all.